Draft regulator



Aug.A 16, 1932. F, WULF 1,871,644

DR-AFT REGULATOR Filedl July 19, 195o Gnomeg Patented Aug. 16, 1932 FRANK F. WU'LF, OF OMAHA,VNEBRAISKA :DRAFT REGULATOR" Application filed July 19,

This invention relates to draft Vregulators adapted to be used for many purposes and particularly of advantage when used upon vehicles and agricultural implements such as plows, listers and cultivators attached to and drawn by wheeled vehicles.

In the use of agricultural implements mounted upon or drawn by vehicles, it frequently occurs that, during operation, one

l0 of the wheels engages in a furrow, and traction provided by the two wheels are not equal, with resulting inequality of draft. Also very often, the power employed consists of four horses moving side by side for draW- 415 ing listers or cultivators, with the result that one or more of the horses will travel on cultivated ground while the others travel on more solid ground. By use of the `herein described evener all of the horses may travel.

adjacent to the near side, and when plowing, the horses may all travel upon the land side.

The invention includes certain features for convenience in operation whenV turning about at the end of a field, and with the foregoing objects in view the invention presents a new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated 3o inthe accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes may be made in form, size, proportions and minor details, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed. Y

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a broken away plan view illustrating one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View through the sleeve of the arcuate casting. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the clutch. v.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the invention is shown and described in connection with a pair of traction wheels 10 and 11 depended upon for traction and for drawing a culti- 45 vator or lister (not shown) for cultivating the ground between the rows 12, 13, 14 and 15 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, these being rows o-f growing corn or the like.

In order that the objects of the invention may be attained as rst mentioned, the

v 25, and by means 1930. 'serial No. 469,024.

tongue l16 may be attached to that partfof the draw-bar 17 closely adjacent to the near f side7 of the vehicle, and since the whiflietrees 18 will all be disposed between rows which have not been cultivated, it will not be neces-l sary for any of the horses (not shown) to travel upon the cultivated ground. In order that a part of the power directed to rotate the wheel 10 may be transmitted to wheel 11 to cause uniformity, I provide an' arcuate casting 19 having a sleeve 2,0 at its middle, said-sleeve having a pair of arms 21 at its ends terminating in a pair of spindles 22 on which the wheels 10 and 11 are journalled. c

Numeral 23 indicates a sprocket 4wheel which is rigid with the wheel 10 and a sprocket wheel 24 is rigidly secured to the wheel 11. Numeral 25 indicates a shaft which extends through the sleeve and its endsproject beyond the ends of the sleeve. Uponv that end of the shaft adjacentto thewheel 10 is rigidly mounted a sprocket wheel 26 and a sprocket chainl 27 is mounted on the sprocket vwheels 23 and 26. n y

` Numeral 28 indicates a Vsprocket wheel which is journalled on the end of the shaft p of a sprocket chain 29 a rotation of the traction wheel 11 will cause the sprocket wheel 28 to be rotated. v As best shown in Fig. 3 the sprocket wheel 28 is normally pressed inwardly upon the shaft 25 by means of aspring 30 and the inner side `of this sprocket wheel is provided with t`eeth31 to operate as a clutch-member. Numeral 32 indicates a clutch-member which is movable withthe shaft 25 since it is secured Vthereto by a keeper 33. Numeral 34 indica-tes a cam adapted to be rotated on its pivot 35 and when rotated in `one Vdirectionl by use of its lever 36 it will move the sprocket wheel outwardly from the-clutch-member 32 YAagainst the force of the spring 30, and while the eccentrically Vmounted cam Vremains in this position no rotatable movement of the shaft 25 will be caused by the rotation of the wheel 11. l

When turning about at the end of afield, the driver, byuse of the lever 36, moves the sprocket wheel 28 outwardly, and this operation permits the off Wheel ll to rotate faster than the Wheel 10. By rotating the cam in an opposite direction the teeth 31 of the sprocket Wheel 28 Will be moved into engagement With the clutchmeniber 32 by action of the spring 30.

It Will therefore be seen that power may he applied by the tongue to any part of the draw-bar 17 and the result Would not be changed for the reason that the Wheel 1l must rotate dependingly With the WheellO. 'Both of these Wheels cooperate to provide aunit l of traction and the draft Will be equalized soY long as the clutch-members engage each. other. vThe herein described means forcontrolling the draft operates to great advantage for ag-V ricultural purposes, the arcuate form of the Vcasting '19 being needed since it Will not be ohtrii'sive to rows of growing corn having a height vof tivo or three feet, and it will be appreciated that it is an advantage to permit horses to travel on the land side. and not in the furroivs or freshly plowed or listed ground.

I claim as my inventi0n, o

A draft regulator, comprising an arched member having an intermediate sleeve portion and end crank portions, a traction Wheel mounted on eachncrank portion, a sprocket Wheel on each crank portion connected yto its respective traction Wheel, a shaft mounted to turn in said' sleeve,a clutch member fixed to each end portion of the shaftbeyond the sleeve, a sprocket Wheel mounted to turn freely on each end portion of the shaft and dis# posed inline with the sprocket Wheelsl on said `crank portions, springs carried on the outer l ends of the shaft and hearingv against said adjacent sprocket wheels, the sprocket Wheels on the shaft having clutch elements for interlocking engagement with said first clutch elements for interlocking the parts for rotation in one direction, chains connecting the alined sprocket Wheels, and a. `camfniounted on one end of the sleeve and disposed at the inner side of one of the sprocket wheels on the shaft for freeing the sprocketwheel from the adjacent clutch element at times.

In testimonyivhereof, I aflix my signature. n

` FRANK F. VVULF. 

